BENGALURU:It is said that if you force our mind towards a goal, success is yours. Two young women from Bangalore also played this mind game and achieved big. Amrutha Kashinath and Shubra Acharya made it to the “Limca Book of Records” by finishing the fastest South-North expedition by women on a motorcycle. Called ‘The Long Highway’ their expedition from Kanyakumari to Leh was completed in 129 hours. “In the beginning we had no plans to complete the expedition within the limited time but later we wanted to challenge ourselves. We never realized that we just took five days,” says Amrutha.
The main purpose of their journey was to break the stereotypes about safety concerns of women in India. There are a lot of preconceived notions which they wanted to change, they claim. “Usually there are questions about whether women travel alone in the country. The dependence of women on male companions for safety is usually the case. We wanted to make people realize that independent women can surpass all challenges” says Amrutha. The journey was sponsored by Phalada Pure and Sure, an organic food brand. Both Amrutha and Shubra are regular travellers and have gone on various expeditions from the past seven years. They had to undergo training for a few months to prepare for the expedition. Amrutha says that they are very passionate about bikes and crazy about bike expeditions. We have faced many challenges during our travels in the country and abroad.
“We have covered around 2 lakh kms around the country. Then we covered Bhutan and Sri Lanka. This year we are going to Mongolia,” she adds. On the Limca record challenge, they say that juggling travelling with sleep was a major challenge. “Maintaining a minimum of five hour sleep, getting up early the next day was quite a tiring task. We had to maintain our strength and perseverance throughout. Food and climate was another issue,” says Shubra They had to take a number of safety measures for the vehicle. There are various perceptions regarding the safety of the bike but Amrutha feels that its the sanity of the mind that is important. “If you ride any bike you need to be careful. We try and ensure safety every time we ride,”says Shubra. Tanglangla Pass in Ladakh was one of the most difficult stretches during the journey since it was prone to snowstorms and rains.
“When we saw the sign Welcome to Leh after crossing the Tanglangla pass, that was the most memorable moment which we will cherish our entire lives. There was a great sense of achievement after endless hardwork,” says Shubra. Shubra owns a company called Travelling Circus and Amrutha is also a main lead in the same company. They have been conducting motorcycle expeditions since five years. “When you travel you are open to more thinking and the stereotypes you have regarding a place people and culture are all broken. You get to know about your country in a deeper perspective.” She says that it’s not about destination, it’s about the journey, not end or beginning. Their advise to woman travellers is to just get out of the routine and explore with courage. “Every woman has to explore herself and not wait for a male companion. Go and explore India. The country is actually safe, it’s how you perceive it to be and finally it’s all about the power of the mind,” says Amrutha.